Bud Anderson

Common card · No. 430327

Clarence Emil "Bud" Anderson (January 13, 1922 – May 17, 2024) was an officer in the United States Air Force and a triple ace of World War II. During the war he was the highest scoring flying ace in his P-51 Mustang squadron. Toward the end of Anderson's two combat tours in Europe in 1944 he was promoted to major at 22, a young age even for a highly effective officer in wartime. Afterward, he became a test pilot and a fighter squadron and wing commander, serving a combat tour in the Vietnam War. Anderson retired as a full colonel in 1972, after which he worked in flight test management for McDonnell Douglas. A member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame, he continued to speak at aviation and military events well into his 90s. He received an honorary promotion to brigadier general in 2022.

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